{"id":91239,"date":"2018-10-26T15:37:29","date_gmt":"2018-10-26T13:37:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=91239"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:23:08","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:23:08","slug":"minister-hopes-that-universities-will-relax-first-year-requirements-of-their-own-accord","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2018\/10\/26\/minister-hopes-that-universities-will-relax-first-year-requirements-of-their-own-accord\/","title":{"rendered":"Minister hopes that universities will relax first-year requirements of their own accord"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Minister for Education, Ingrid van Engelshoven, stated in a letter to the Lower House that she will implement measures designed to make higher education \u2018more accessible\u2019. Van Engelshoven wishes to ensure that only English-language degree programmes can be subject to a numerus clausus (limited student intake policy). In addition, she is going to discuss a relaxation of the requirements for first-year students (the so-called \u2018binding study recommendation\u2019), and she wishes Dutch universities to focus more on student welfare.<\/p>\n

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Students in the auditorium<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRonald van den Heerik<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

\u201cNot all students have equal opportunities in the admissions lottery for higher education, nor in their growth during their degree courses,\u201d the Minister stated in her letter. \u201cThis is unacceptable. Achieving one\u2019s educational objectives should be all about allowing the greatest possible number of suitable students to obtain a university degree.\u201d<\/p>\n

Children of poorly educated parents or from a non-Western migrant background are less likely<\/a>\u00a0to be admitted to degrees subject to a numerus clausus. Therefore, the Minister wishes to require universities to provide a good explanation as to why they wish to limit admission to certain degree programmes. If the universities fail to provide a satisfactory explanation, the degree programmes in question will have to be opened up to more students.<\/p>\n

Van Engelshoven is working on an amendment that will be submitted to the Lower House in the second half of 2019. \u201cAll I can say at present is that [higher education] institutions will have to demonstrate that they have made a sufficient effort to prevent the student intake from having to be limited,\u201d she stated in her letter.<\/p>\n\n\t

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